Don and Jess: Open and Shut
by LacytheRomanWerewolf
Summary: Ok so Lindsay is getting more emotional. Time for her to go to Jess and Stella for help. FA


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Lacy here. Ok so Lindsay is getting more emotional. Time for her to go to Jess and Stella for help. Have fun.

Disclaimer: *shakes head and walks away*

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Jess slipped her boots on and looked at Don who was pulling on a black tee shirt.

"So what are you boys up to tonight?" Jess asked.

"Mac, Hawkes and I are heading over to Danny's to play some pool." Don said. "What about you?"

Jess sighed and leaned against the closet door. "Um Stella wants to talk to Lindsay about something that's going on with her and she wants me to back her."

Don frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She's been acting weird and she snapped at Stella earlier over nothing so we're worried." Jess explained.

Don nodded and kissed Jess. "Well good luck. I'm heading over to Danny's now."

Jess returned the kiss. "Try not to loose any money this time."

Don mock frowned. "I didn't loose that much last time."

Jess patted Don on the cheek before motioning him out of the room. He gave her one more kiss and Jess listened as the apartment door closed. Grabbing her coat and keys, she locked up then headed out, heading for the subway. The girls were meeting at Stella's place for a girls night in and hopefully they would find out what's wrong with Lindsay. After a fifteen minute train ride and a five minute walk Jess knocked on Stella's door. A few seconds later Stella opened the door. Jess held up a bottle of wine she had brought.

"Thought this might help." Jess said.

Stella smiled and let Jess in. "Great idea Jess. Lindsay just called. She'll be here in about ten minutes."

Jess took off her coat and hung it up. "So you get anything out of her at work?"

"No, she apologized for snapping at me and said she couldn't tell me what was going on. Not that she didn't want to but because she wasn't sure herself." Stella said.

"Sounds sort of like what she told Danny a few weeks ago." Jess said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"What do you mean?" Stella asked.

"Danny came by our place a few weeks ago for advice." Jess said. "Lindsay had apparently been pulling away and the only reason she gave Danny was she had to sort something out that she thought she had put behind her."

Stella handed Jess a glass of wine and perched herself on top of her kitchen table. "Well hopefully we'll be able to get more out of her tonight." she took a sip of her wine. "Until then, how did things go with Don and your parents?"

Jess smiled as she lifted herself onto the counter. "It went great after he calmed down and stopped acting so nervous. Apparently the last time he met a girlfriend's parents was high school."

Stella laughed. "You did tell him that he was safer now then in high school right?"

"Yeah I did and he said he was strangely comforted by that." Jess said.

"How'd you handle it all?" Stella asked.

"Fine, that is until my brother Jason shouted my childhood nickname." Jess said with a mock glare.

Stella snorted. "Dare I ask?"

Jess sighed but with a smile. "I liked collecting and watching butterflies when I was growing up so my family started calling me Butterfly."

"Well that's not too bad." Stella said.

"No it's not bad at all." Jess said. "Though I told Don if he calls me it he'll be sleeping on the couch."

"No man is going to risk that." Stella laughed.

Jess nodded her agreement as there was knock on the door. Stella hopped off the table and went to answer it while Jess poured a third glass of wine, knowing it was Lindsay. She heard Stella greet Lindsay and the two women soon came into the kitchen. Jess gave Lindsay a hug and handed her the glass then the three sat at the kitchen table.

"I ordered Chinese about twenty minutes ago so it should be here soon." Stella said.

Jess went to talk but Lindsay held up her hand.

"I know you guys want to know what's going on but give me a bit." Lindsay said. "Once I get this wine in me it'll be easier to talk."

Stella and Jess both nodded and the three made small talk about work and Jess filled Lindsay in on what had happened with Don and her parents.

"It was fun having Mia around the lab." Lindsay said. "Prevented the boys from slacking."

"I'm sure they loved that." Jess laughed. "Danny offered to take her on his next day off so Louie would have someone to play with."

"I still can't believe Danny kept Louie." Stella said.

"I can't believe how much Louie looks like him." Lindsay laughed.

Jess smirked. "Well dogs do look like their owners. According to Don, Mia smirks just like I do before she does something she's not supposed to. Like chew on one of his ties."

"Somehow I think dog slobber and chew marks would be an improvement on his ties." Stella said as the door bell rang. She got up to pay for the food. "What's with them anyway?"

Jess and Lindsay headed into the living room and cleared the coffee table.

"Some of them are gifts from his family." Jess said. "And believe it or not some are ones he bought on his own."

"Does he need glasses?" Lindsay asked giving a confused look.

"Trust me that was my first question but he really thinks they look good." Jess said.

"Your boy has horrible taste in neck wear." Stella said walking over to the two with two bags of food.

Jess shrugged. "I love him anyway."

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"So Flack, any idea what the girls are up to tonight?" Hawkes asked as Mac sunk another ball.

"Girls night in was all Jess would tell me." Don said, lining up his shot. Though he knew more, he wasn't about to break Jess' trust in him by telling the guys.

"How'd it go with Angell's parents?" Mac asked, sipping his beer.

"Great." Don said. "Once my stomach stopped trying to make its way up my throat."

Hawkes leaned on his pool stick. "Danny I have to ask, why the hell do you have a pool table in the middle of your living room?"

Danny walked in from the kitchen with Louie following him. "It was my dad's going away gift. We had one in our basement and I spent more time practicing then I did with my family so he bought me one."

Don sat in the recliner and patted his lap for Louie to jump up. "Saves us from having to go out and pay to play." He caught Louie as the dog jumped into his lap and patted his head.

"Also saved me from having to buy a kitchen table." Danny said, taking a shot.

"That would explain this stain." Mac said, looking at a darker spot on the corner of the pool table.

Danny smiled. "Yankees game last season, dropped some salsa."

Don laughed. "I remember that game." he pointed his beer at Danny. "It was more then salsa, I think you dropped at least three other things on that exact spot."

"Must you have such good memory Don?" Danny asked with a groan as Mac sunk the eight ball.

Don high fived Mac, careful of Louie. "I'm a detective Messer. It's in my nature to remember things."

Hawkes and Danny handed fifty bucks over to Don and Mac.

"Ok you've kicked our asses three time now." Hawkes said. "Let's find something else to do before I go broke."

Danny nodded at Hawkes. "I'm with him. There's a game on in fifteen minutes."

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Lindsay placed down her wine glass and sighed.

"I'm ready to tell you guys what's going on." she said.

Stella and Jess also placed their wine glasses down and gave Lindsay their attention.

"We're ready to listen Kiddo." Stella said, squeezing Lindsay's hand.

Lindsay and Stella were sitting on the couch while Jess sat curled up in Stella's recliner. Mia, who Jason had dropped off about twenty minutes before, sat next to the recliner also looking at Lindsay.

"I am the sole surviver of a homicide." Lindsay started, her voice already thick with emotion. "Three of my closet friends were murdered along with a diner girl and I was the only witness. A month ago I got a call from the DA back home saying they caught the guy who did it and they may need me to come back and testify to what I saw. Every case since then with young girls have been reminding me of my friends and I know it's affecting my work but I can't shake it."

"Is this why you've been pushing Danny away?" Jess asked.

Lindsay wiped her eyes. "How'd you know about that?"

Jess played with her hands. "He came to Don and I for advice on what to do."

Lindsay gave a sad smile. "I don't meant to push him away but I just don't want to get too close to anyone until I can put this all behind me for good."

"I can talk to Mac about putting you on just lab duty until this is all taken care of." Stella said.

Lindsay shook her head. "I don't want to look weak."

"Linds, you've been through something terrible." Jess said. "No one is going to blame you for taking it easy with all you have sitting on your plate."

"If I have to go testify then I'll request lab duty." Lindsay said. "Until then I want to work as normal as possible."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Jess asked. Lindsay nodded. "Let Danny in. At least some what. He really just wants to be there for you and help you."

Lindsay smiled. "Alright, I'll try."

Stella got a sly look on her face. "Who wants to go crash a boy's night?"

Jess and Lindsay laughed.

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All four men cheered as the Yankees got a home run. Louie jumped around in front of the TV, encouraged by the cheering. Their celebrating was interrupted by a knock on the door. The men looked at each other.

"It's your place Danny." Don said. "You answer it."

Danny sighed but got up none the less and went to answer the door. He was more then surprised to see the girls on the other side.

"What are you guys doing here?" Danny asked letting them in, petting Mia as she went by.

"Thought we'd crash your boys night in with our girls night in." Stella said, sitting next to Mac.

Jess draped herself across Don's lap and looked at Lindsay who was still standing. Jess nodded towards Danny with an encouraging smile. Lindsay sighed but went over to Danny and motioned him down the hall towards him room. He nodded and, placing a hand on her lower back, he led her away from the others.

"You're going to tell me what that's about right?" Don asked quietly.

Jess nodded. "When we get home." She shifted so she could see the TV screen. "So who's winning?"

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Ok I know I said I was going to follow the show when it came to Danny and Lindsay but I decided against it. I'm going to go a little off course with them. Not too far but enough to make me happy. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.

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